Chapter 13

Firo got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. He could have used magic to cleanse the toxic smoke smell from his body, but there was something calming about the human shower ritual. Someone in this realm thought the same, or he wouldn’t have such a thing as a shower in his quarters.

He made fast work of dressing because his gut told him that his princess was going to be here soon with questions. He still didn’t know how to answer them or if he should at all. Seeing Ava trapped in that bus had aged his soul. He was terrified, and for a moment, almost broke one of the most important Fa Terra laws. You did not interfere in Interealm events unless magic had been used. The bus engulfed in flames had nothing to do with magic.

When he’d gotten through to her, and she’d done as he asked, his heart felt like it was paused. She’d tapped into her fae DNA and had been the exact image of her mother when her wings had reappeared. Her face, hair and the glow had been Avaline when she was young. The wings, however, had not been that of a fae but ones from her angel genes. They were much larger, and he still couldn’t believe they were red with tinges of black. This led him to question who her father was. He’d seen angels in his time, preferred not to, but it had still happened. Their wing color seemed to vary depending on their purpose. What purpose would the shades of Ava’s paternal link be? It worried him.

A knock on the outer door had him pause and give it a curious look. His princess would not be knocking on that door. Going over, he opened it. Aslac stood on the other side.

He inclined his head and then reached back to bind his long blond hair. “Mystral is looking for her cousin.”

Firo raised an eyebrow. “I just returned.”

Aslac nodded. “When is the princess coming back?”

To answer with the truth was going to give away the fact that he had just left her in Alterealm. “Shortly. There was an incident with the Alterealm Royals.”

“Incident?”

Firo adjusted his shirt, so it lay flat at the waist of his pants. “Some pastries were filled with a plant so a spell weaver could get into their minds and control the women.”

Aslac’s mouth dropped open. “How is that possible? An insider?”

“No. These were purchased in Interealm.”

Aslac looked at the floor for a moment. “All of them?”

Firo nodded.

“That’s a strong touch to do something like that from a distance.”

“Yes. I don’t know the details of what was found at the cafe in Interealm, but it makes me think that the person responsible…”

“Is fae.”

He nodded again.

“Maybe we’ll find answers when we go see the elders.”

Firo blew out a breath. “I don’t look forward to that.”

“Same. That’s why Mystral is looking for her cousin. To see what time we’re going there.”

“I’ll get back to her shortly.”

They both looked to see Aireese coming from the other door in his room.

“I may be needed to go over to Interealm to see if I can sense anything at that cafe.” She looked Firo up and down, and he knew she had noted his change in dress.

“How are the royals?”

“Angry mostly.” Her mouth quirked. “If they find who is responsible, it’s not going to be pleasant for that person.”

Firo smiled. “I have no doubt. The Queen Daxx seemed quite put out.”

“Well, they dressed her in pink.” She looked at Aslac. “Update Mystral and I’ll come see her shortly. We should fill in my mother on what happened.”

Firo sucked in a breath. To this day, he still had trouble facing their Queen.

“I will tell her.” Aslac bowed his head to her and then turned on his heel and went down the hall.

Firo closed the door. “What do you mean you may be needed? Who is there now?”

“King Troy, Princess Kara—” She smiled. “—despite her mate’s objections. Their mage, Romulus, and a few witches.”

Firo went over and sat down in the chair beside his boots. “I still can’t believe someone managed to do that.” He glanced at her. “Their entire underground chamber is warded. I could feel it.”

Aireese sat on the small lounger. “I know. I think—” She paused for a moment, staring off in another direction. “—it was embedded in the herb used. The spell.”

Firo paused with the boot held over his foot. “In the herb, that’s—” He shook his head. “—way beyond anything I could ever do.”

“Myself as well, which scares me, Firo.” She sat back and watched him as he put his boots on. “The person that could do that is strong and must be advanced in years, or…”

He adjusted his jacket and sat back. “Or they’re of mixed DNA.”

She nodded. “Crissy saw Capri’s twin. I don’t think that was random.”

Firo closed his eyes and rubbed his hand over them. “I know.” Opening them, he looked at her for a moment. She had questions. He could see them in her eyes. “I don’t think anyone could pull that off if they were in Fa Terra when the woman were under the cast.”

“You’re right. They couldn’t.”

“Which means they’re either in Alterealm or Interealm. They are more closely connected than any other realm.”

She nodded. “Do we tell my mother now or wait for word on what is found in the cafe.”

If he had his way, he would have sent the queen an email or messenger with the information. “Let’s see if we can find more facts before sharing.” He knew how stressed the queen was lately and he knew the reason. It was coming up on Ava’s birth date in a few weeks’ time, which also meant it was the anniversary of the death of her eldest daughter.

“That symbol Crissy showed everyone—”

He looked at her and held his breath. Over the years he had hoped for an explanation as to why that mark had appeared the day Avaline died but had never found one. Some fae had marks that meant various things, but his wasn’t earned because of exemplary skill, or spectacular feat. Nothing that day had made him deserving of one of those. Instead at the moment he was the most torn between the princess and her child, a mark had been burned into his skin for him to wear for the rest of his life.

“That mark is on your chest, Firo.”

He inclined his head. “It is.”

“Fire and wings.” She said softly. “It was Ava from the Gemini women, wasn’t it?”

He knew full well that she had heard that part from Crissy before he left. “Yes.”

She leaned forward. “How is it you could find her?”

He wanted to ask her straight out if she had already put the pieces together, but he didn’t want to hand it to her if she hadn’t. “We have a connection.” He cleared his throat.

“I figured that part out. I was asking how you had a connection.”

Firo stood up because he couldn’t sit there and watch her search what felt like his soul when she looked at him. He took long strides over to the mirror and stood in front of it. He could see her watching him in it. There was no way around telling her the truth. She would sense a lie before it even came out of his mouth. “She’s the halfling that goes to the forest.”

The silence charged the air with tension.

“She’s the one meant for you.”

The fact it wasn’t in the form of a question was a relief. “She is.”

“Does she know?” She sucked in a breath and jumped up. “Is she all right?”

He nodded and then turned to face her. “She was rescuing children from a bus that was in a ditch engulfed in flames.”

“Brave.” She said quietly. “Did you interfere?”

He moved his head slowly in the direction of a negative gesture. “I did not. I told her to use her wings to protect her and the injured child so they could exit the vehicle safely.”

“And she listened without question?” She tilted her head. “I’ve met Ava, and she doesn’t strike me as a follow-your-lead sort of woman.”

He grinned briefly. “She is not, but in this case, I believe she knew she had no other options.”

“No one saw you?”

“They did not.”

Clasping her hands in front of her, she looked down at them for a moment. “As far as complicated mating’s go, I think you have probably won the award for the most complicated.” She looked at him. “The only thing that could be worse would be if the other half of me were a human.” She grinned briefly.

She wasn’t wrong. “I know.”

“Do you? Do you know the women that live with Capri? They’re not friendly to males from any realm.”

He nodded. “I’m aware.” He had watched that building for years. He knew how much animosity they held for males. He didn’t quite understand why, but he was fully aware.

“Even if she wanted to be with you, and I don’t know enough about her to say whether she would or not—she can’t live here, Firo.”

He jammed his hands in his pockets and nodded. “I know.”

“Are you leaving Fa Terra and your service to the queen? To me?”

The emotion in her eyes felt like someone was stabbing him in the chest. “No. I have no intentions of leaving.”

“I could talk to my mother…”

He stepped forward and then stopped. “No.” He inhaled a deep breath and then exhaled slowly. “I do not know what will become of this, so until then, I would prefer it remain between us.”

She looked at him for a long moment. “Okay.” She studied him. “How was she when she used her wings to block the flames?”

Firo felt his mouth form into a big grin. “Amazing.”

“You’re smitten.” She smiled. “It looks good on you.”

He sobered and cleared his throat. “Mystral wants to know when we’re going to see the elders.”

Her happy expression changed to hesitation. “I’d like to say never, but we’ve put it off long enough.”

“Which are we looking for? The traitor Belford or Florin and Satine that may have been working for both good and bad?”

She cringed. “All of them. I don’t want to have to go back there multiple times.”

“I’m told it’s a beautiful area.”

“Oh, it is. Just as long as you don’t upset any of the elders.”

He nodded. “I was thinking perhaps we could seek out Amyas. If anyone would know, it would be her.”

“Going to the oldest fae alive would be a shortcut if she’s in the mood to help.”

“We can hope.”

Aireese chuckled. “That’s all we can do.”